" Egalitarianism is neither alien to India nor the gift of the West. Marginalised
people everywhere have always aspired to build an inclusive world. Espousing the
perspective of the commoners, this revised edition of `Debrahmanising History' brings out
the beauty and resillence of a counter-tradition by visiting some of the majour sites of
resistence and creativity from below. Ranged against caste and brahmanism, this liberating
tradition is to be found in the egalitarians of diverse inclinations, particularly in the
strands of shramanism, Buddhism, the movements of subaltern sant-poets, Sufism, and
Sikhism.

This counter-tradition was carried forward in modern India by, more than anybody else,
Jotiba Phule, Iyothee Tass, Narayana Guru, Periar, and Ambedkar. Recognising the power of
culture in the politics of transformation, they had emancipatory visions that embrased the
whole of Indian experience, and stand firmly as an alternative to Tilak-Savarkarite,
Gandhian, and Nehruvian visions. Their determined but diverse and `resourceless'
struggles, fought in the teeth opposition from the caste elites, could not arrest the
neo-brahmanism which under colonial complicity and the achaeology of knowledge derived
from Orientalism went on to reincarnate - and nationalise - itself into octopus-like
Hinduism and `Indian culture'. Their sublime failure adds to their enduring appeal to the
dalit-bahujans as old forms of hierarchy and hegemony menacingly morph into new structures
of democracy.

In some studies, the emancipatory thrust of this tradition is occassionally recognised,
but it is seldom integrated with civilisational studies on Indian culture and society. An
attempt in the direction, this searing critique of caste and dominant historiography is
meat for all those who are - or want to be - part of the ongoing struggle of human
liberation."
[from
Blurb]